A Prayer for Owen Meany was the seventh published novel by American writer John Irving. Published in 1989, it tells the story of John Wheelwright and his best friend Owen Meany growing up together in a small New England town during the 1950 and 1960s. Owen is a remarkable boy in many ways; he believes himself to be God's instrument and journeys on a truly extraordinary path.
The novel is also a homage to Günter Grass' most famous novel The Tin Drum. Grass was a great influence for John Irving, as well as a close friend. The main characters of both novels, Owen Meany and Oskar Matzerath, share the same initials as well as some other characteristics, and the stories show some parallels too. Irving confirmed this explicitly in interviews and articles. "A Prayer for Owen Meany", however, is a completely independent story and in no sense a copy of The Tin Drum.
Read more about A Prayer For Owen Meany: Plot Summary, Themes, Film, Television and Theatrical Adaptations, Cultural References
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